The Third Son
by WolfmanX
Summary: Legend tells that the Rikudou Sennin had two sons. The older son inherited the Sage's "eyes". The younger son inherited the Sage's "body". What legend doesn't tell is that the Rikudou Sennin had another son. This son was the youngest of the three. To those that have waited for a 3rd chapter, I am sorry for my absence. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
1. Death of a Savior

**The Third Son**

**Chapter 1**

**Death of a Savior**

"Father, I'm back."

The young man's voice cut through the dark stillness of the room like a sharp knife. The room had not seen or heard much activity for days.

The young man quickly and quietly made his way across the tatami mats to the center of the room. Lying on a large futon illuminated by two small candles lay an obviously-sick, older man.

The man was in his fifties, evident by his mostly gray hair, yet he retained the musculature and look of a man that had known great strength in his life. Though the man possessed a strong mind and body, his strength had been robbed by the illness that was slowly killing him now.

Reaching the older man's side, the young man reached over and brought a bowl filled with cool water closer to him. He grabbed the wet cloth in the bowl, wrung it out, and began to dab the sick man's face. He could see that the man was suffering from a very high fever, as his white robe was soaked with perspiration. His breathing was heavy as he lifted his right hand out from beneath the covers.

"Sanmaru. Were you successful? Did you speak with your brothers?"

The man's voice was weak, strained, and sounded desperate. The situation he spoke of had to be serious. Very serious.

The young man bowed his head at the question, dejected and disappointed.

"I did Father…but I failed. They wouldn't listen to me. After their fight, they stopped talking and neither one will yield their position on the issue. I fear this dispute between them is going to turn into a full-blown feud."

"There is no chance of them mending this rift that has grown between them?"

"I talked to both of them alone, Father. There is no chance, at least none that I can see."

The sick man closed his eyes, grimacing from pain having nothing to do with his illness, and he spoke again.

"This is my fault. This is a direct result of the choice that I made. And now, I am too weak to fix this mess of mine."

Sanmaru looked into his Father's eyes and spoke.

"I wish there was something more that I could do, Father."

"My son, I must make a request of you…a request that I have no right to ask of you. I cannot ask you to fix this mess that I have caused, but there is something I need you to do for me."

The young man grabbed his father's hand gently with both hands.

"What is it, Father? Whatever you ask, I will do it."

"Watch over this world when I am gone."

"Watch over it, Father?"

"I have preached my philosophies on the true nature of chakra…of Ninjutsu...to the world. I have tried to quell the war and chaos that has consumed our world and lead the world to peace. I can only hope that the people of the world will share in my beliefs. Your brothers and you…I have taught you three all that I know and all that I believe in. It was my wish that you three would help guide the people of the world into a new era of peace. But now, because I chose your older brother over your oldest brother to become my successor when I die, this great rift has grown between them."

"Father, it was your decision to make, and no one else's. Even though it is not my place to say, I believe that you made the right choice. Love is the key to peace, not power. Power by itself only brings pain. My older brother was the right choice."

The young man's father smiled slightly at the words of his youngest son.

"Promise me…promise that you will watch over the world when I pass…please." Reaching up with his other hand, he grasped Sanmaru's hands firmly with both of his hands.

Bowing his head again, the young man spoke with great regret in his voice.

"Father…my oldest brother was born with your "eyes", your powerful chakra and spiritual energy, and my older brother was born with your "body", your willpower and physical energy. But me…you and I both know that I've never been as good or as talented as my brothers. How can I possibly watch over the entire world?"

"You can do it, because you will have a part of me with you as well my son. You have been loyal to me your entire life. You have always embraced the ways of Ninjutsu and tried your best to live by them. Most of all, you understand that strength alone cannot bring peace. Peace will only come when we truly understand one another, through love. Please my son…promise me you will do this…no one else can."

"I…I promise Father…I will do my best."

"I know that you are worthy of this gift, my son. Now kneel."

Sanmaru scooted back from his father's resting place slightly, put his hands on the floor in front of him, and bowed his head.

Grimacing, the old man struggled to sit up fully. Fighting against the pain, he managed to sit up and face his son. His breathing became more and more ragged.

"Father, don't strain yourself. Your body can't take it."

"This…this…must be…be done my son."

Steadying his breathing, the old man closed his eyes and laid his hands on his son's head. His hands began to glow with a bright blue energy, and the energy began to pass from him to his son.

"My son…I have given my 'eyes' and my 'body' to your two older brothers, but now I give you my 'mind'. I give you my experience, my wisdom, and my extensive knowledge of chakra. Use this gift to protect yourself and to protect this world from those that would bring darkness to it."

After speaking these words, the light from his hands faded, and he collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

Rushing to help his father, Sanmaru laid his father back down and covered him up.

Between his gasping breaths, Sanmaru's father tried to speak.

"My son…your existence…will soon fade…from history…but you must…must always keep watch. It's…it's up to…to you now. Goodbye…my son. Remember…me as…I was."

With a final smile for the young man clutching his hands, the old man's eyes glassed over and he breathed his last.

Fighting back tears, Sanmaru carefully laid his father's head down carefully on the pillows. He closed his father's eyelids, so that he looked like he was only sleeping. Bringing the blankets up to cover his father's lifeless body, Sanmaru spoke his parting words.

"Goodbye, Father. You will be missed, but none will miss you more than me."

And so, from this world, passed the Rikudou Sennin. Sage of the Six Paths. Savior of the World. God of Shinobi. Father of Ninjutsu.


	2. Chat with a Cat Lady

**The Third Son**

**Chapter 2**

**Chat with a Cat Lady**

Sora-ku was quiet and desolate just like it always was. It hadn't always been like that. A few decades ago, Sora-ku had been a bustling metropolis, the streets filled with merchants, families, and travelers. Now, only the slow footsteps of the hooded and cloaked figure could be heard over the wind along with the occasional shutting door or window. The wind whipped dust about and attempted to tear the man's cloak from his body, but he never faltered in his steps. This man was clearly not a person you wanted to provoke. Though this city was abandoned for the most part, it had become a haven for bandits, cutthroats, and murderers in the wake of its abandonment. Only an extremely accomplished warrior or a complete fool could walk down the streets of this lawless area so casually. And this man was not dressed like a fool. After a few silent minutes, the figure stopped in front of a large square-shaped hole in the wall to his right. With a dark blue overhang drooping above, normally a shop or small store would stand where the recess was located, but here a set of large stone steps led gently into the darkness. After a few seconds of contemplation, the figure stepped forward and began the descent into darkness.

The light from outside became dimmer with each step he took. At the bottom of the stairs, a line of very dim lights provided barely enough light to see along the stone hallway that led further in. The man walked casually forward as if he knew exactly where he was going, even though all of the stone walls looked exactly alike. The air was very heavy, making the place seem more like a labyrinth. Besides the dim lights, old, rusty pipes ran along the ceiling as well as along both walls. Every few meters a warding paper charm was placed along the walls, no doubt to inform the area's occupants of any intruders. After a few minutes walking in semi-darkness, the figure stopped and looked down the hall ahead of him.

He must have seen something in the darkness, but how could he see in the dark? Two cats emerged slowly out of the darkness. They blocked his path and prevented him from proceeding. These were no normal cats. Each of them was two to three times the size of a normal cat and possessed a fiercer look about them. Even stranger, each of them wore a small kimono top tied with a white obi, a blue one for the male and a red one for the female. The figure recognized them immediately. They were the ninja cats, Denka and Hina. They guarded this area and the people that dwelt here.

Denka addressed the man saying, "Show us your face, or we'll attack. We don't like strangers here."

The man lowered his hood so that his face could be seen.

"Oh…it's you. We haven't seen you around here for a long time. Nekobaa will be happy to see you."

Hina chimed in, "Did you bring a gift for us?"

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a small bag of cat treats. He tossed the bag casually to Hina who caught the bag in her mouth.

"Much appreciated", she said with the bag in her mouth.

While she hurried along down the hallway, Denka said, "Follow us. We'll take you to Nekobaa."

Hurrying after Hina, Denka yelled, "Hina! Don't eat all of those before I get some like you did last time!"

Walking quickly behind them, the man followed silently.

A few minutes later, the man emerged into a well-lit room with various supply crates and containers lining the walls. The room was furnished and had a homey look to it. Obviously, this place was meant to serve as both a living and work area. Toward the back of the room, sitting on a red circular rug was Nekobaa. Nekobaa was a woman in her late sixties casually smoking a pipe. She had long gray hair that fanned out behind her. She wore light blue pants, a light orange kimono top, and a light gray scarf. She also wore a pair of black cat ears and had her nose painted charcoal black, which made her look slightly odd. Nekobaa was surrounded by at least a dozen cats of varying colors. They were all gathered around her vying for her attention. Denka and Hina had hunkered down in a corner and were tearing into the bag of treats they had gotten. At the sound of another person in the room, Nekobaa turned to the entrance to see who it was.

When she saw who it was, she smiled and said, "So, you've finally come to see me again after all these years."

She turned toward the far side of the room and yelled, "Tamaki! Come out here! We have a customer!"

Nekobaa's 16-year-old granddaughter, Tamaki, came out from behind a curtain and said, "Granny. You don't have to yell. I'm right here."

Turning to the customer, Tamaki said, "Welcome. How may we help y…oh...it's you."

Recognizing the cloaked man, Tamaki stopped and began looking at the man with both suspicion and intrigue. It had been a long time since she had seen his face. His face was…

"So…why have you come to visit?" asked Nekobaa, "Do you need weapons, supplies, medicine, information, or all of them?"

"Just information. That's all." The man turned to Tamaki and said, "Tamaki-chan, it is a pleasure to see you again. You've grown into a beautiful young woman since I was here last."

Tamaki blushed at the man's compliment and asked, "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

The man replied, "Yes. I just need some information. I also want to speak to your grandmother alone."

Tamaki looked at her grandmother and asked, "Granny?"

Nekobaa nodded and replied, "It's alright Tamaki."

"It was a pleasure to see you again Tamaki-chan."

Tamaki smiled slightly, nodded her head in acknowledgment, and left the room. The man approached Nekobaa and sat down on the floor opposite of her, careful not to startle her cats.

"Tamaki-chan has become a beautiful young woman…beautiful just like her grandmother."

Nekobaa smiled slyly.

"You're still such a looker yourself…Neko-chan." The man grinned.

Nekobaa laughed and said, "Hoho…you always were such a smooth talker." She inhaled deeply from her pipe and blew out a stream of smoke as she examined the man's face.

"Your face looks exactly the same as it did the last time you came to visit me. How long has it been since your last visit? 10 years?"

The man smiled. "It's been 15 years since I came here last."

Surprised at his answer, Nekobaa replied, "I can't believe it's been that long." She squints at him for a second. "Now that I think about it…you look exactly the same as you did when we first met."

Nekobaa chuckled and asked, "What's your secret?"

He responded, "I cut down on salt. Hahahahahaha. Life's been good to me. That's all. Now…back to business?"

Nekobaa smiled and replied, "Of course. Business before pleasure...as always. What are you here for? Weapons? Equipment? Medicine? Information?"

"Just information this time. You do have information don't you?" He smirked at his sarcasm.

She smiled at his sarcasm also. "You know very well that I have contacts in every country. I get information from almost every Hidden Village. Which village do you need information on?"

"Konoha. I need information on Konoha. The last 10 years."

Nekobaa inhaled deeply from her pipe, blew out another stream of smoke, and sighed before speaking.

"A lot has happened to Konoha in the last 10 years. More than most other places."

She paused and looked into the man's face before going on.

"You know about the Uchiha Massacre 8 years ago, right?"

The man nodded and said, "Yes. I don't think there's a shinobi in the world that didn't hear about that. It's a tragedy that never should have happened. Yet another tragedy of that tragic clan."

Nekobaa blew a puff of smoke and nodded.

"That aside, a lot has happened to Konoha over the last 3 years. During the Chuunin exam three years ago, the Sand invaded Konoha in the middle of the third test. Bold of them…really"

The man looked away from Nekobaa when he heard the statement. He shook his head slowly, clearly disgusted by the fact and trying desperately to banish the statement from his mind.

"They didn't attack Konoha on their own…did they?"

She shook her head.

"Of course not. They're smarter than that at least. They formed an alliance with Orochimaru...that Sannin Snake. Orochimaru founded a small hidden village of his own after abandoning Konoha as I'm sure you know…the Sound Village. The Sand was smart enough to not attack Konoha on its own but not smart enough to avoid what happened next. Orochimaru betrayed them just like he did Konoha. He assassinated the 4th Kazekage and took his place at the Chuunin exam. He used the surprise attack to force the 3rd Hokage into a fight, and in the end, Orochimaru assassinated the 3rd Hokage as well."

The man shook his head and solemnly said, "The 3rd Hokage deserved better than that. Sarutobi-sama deserved better than that. As for the 4th Kazekage…I can't say that I am overly sad over his death."

She nodded.

"He did many…questionable things…for the sake of the Sand. But back to Konoha. Konoha routed the invasion, and afterward, they formed an alliance with the Sand to avoid future incidents like that disaster. An alliance between two nations…can you believe such a thing in this day and age? A while after that, Tsunade-hime, one of the other Sannin, came back to the village to become the 5th Hokage. Can you believe that? I always thought it would be that pervert of a sage, Jiraiya, who would become the next Hokage. After all, he was the other Sannin and the most powerful of the three in my opinion."

Nekobaa inhaled deeply from her pipe and let out a puff of smoke before continuing.

"The next 2-and-a-half years were pretty quiet…but just within the last few weeks, the Sand was attacked by a couple of those terrorists from Akatsuki. Gaara of the Sand, who became the 5th Kazekage, saved the village and the villagers from being blown up by a huge bomb, but he was captured by the Akatsuki as a result. After that, Gaara's older brother, Kankurō, went after them but he was defeated easily and fatally poisoned. After that, a team from Konoha was requested to come to the Sand and arrived a couple days later. The team was made up of Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang, Haruno Sakura who is one of Tsunade-hime's apprentices, and Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki. Haruno Sakura was able to save Kankurō from the poison thanks to her master's training. After that, the team from Konoha along with the Sand Elder Chiyo-sama went after the Akatsuki terrorists. In the end, they defeated both of the Akatsuki...and get this; one of them was Sasori of the Red Sand, Chiyo-sama's grandson."

Stopping to catch her breath, she paused for a moment and continued.

"This next part is hard to believe, but it has to be true, because one of my sources confirmed it. Gaara was already dead by the time the team got to him. Somehow, the Akatsuki had extracted the Ichibi from inside Gaara. The process killed him, but Chiyo-sama used a forbidden jutsu that utilized her life force and chakra to bring him back to life at the cost of her own. It's actually very beautiful and poetic when you really think about it. After that, the team escorted the Kazekage back to his village. Then, they headed back to Konoha, and that brings us up to date."

The man was silent for a couple of minutes, nodding his head at statements in his head every few seconds. Finally, he looked up and said, "It's as I thought."

Gaping at the man with her mouth wide open, "Don't tell me you knew all that already."

He smirked and said, "I just needed to confirm the information I already had. After all, you are the best source of information on the shinobi world."

She smirked. "Apart from yourself you mean?"

He smiled back slightly. "Perhaps."

Nekobaa resumed smoking and begin to reminisce. "You know…I remember when that Naruto and Sakura came here years ago with Sasuke-chan. It seems like so long ago. I didn't think much of either of them at first glance."

"All people are more than they appear, isn't that so Nekobaa?"

She smiled and nodded. "Of course. You and I know that better than most."

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a wad of ryō. He kneeled on the ground in front of Nekobaa and placed it on the ground in front of her.

"Here's your payment."

She picked up the wad of ryō and began to flip through the bills before saying, "Wait. Wait a minute. This is too much. Actually, it's way too much." She looked up at him with a suspicious look on her face, "What are you up to?"

He turned toward the exit and said, "Just consider it a gift from an old friend."

She laughed at that and said, "Humph. If anyone is the old friend here, it's me. You're sure there's nothing else that you need?

_Sniff Sniff_

_Sniff Sniff_

She looked back at the man to see him sniffing around the exit.

"What in the world are you doing over there?"

Ignoring her question, he asked, "When was he here last?"

"Who?"

He turned back to face her with a very serious look on his face.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

An astonished look flashed across her face.

"How did you…?"

"When was he here last? I need to know." he said taking a few steps toward her.

"From the smell, I'd say he was here less than a week ago."

_Sniff Sniff_

"Probably only a few days ago."

"You know my policy. I don't discuss other clients with clients."

He heaved a great sigh, reached into his cloak and pulled out another wad of ryō before throwing it to her.

After catching it, she replied, "Sasuke-chan was here 4 days ago. He came here with three others. A large young man with orange hair was one of them. He was so large that none of the clothes in my stock would fit him."

_Jugo from the North_

"A girl with red hair straight on one side and messy on the other was another one of his companions. She wore oval glasses and had red eyes."

_Karin from the South_

"A young man with white hair and sharpened teeth was the last companion. He carried a large sword on his back. It looked far too large for him."

_Sniff Sniff_

_H_ō_zuki Suigetsu_

"I gave them some supplies, clothing, and information. That's all. They didn't stay long, and they left after about an hour or two. That's all. I swear. But I still don't know how you knew they were here. I don't believe that you could actually smell them. How did you know?"

He thought for a moment and said, "Intuition. I need to go. This information about Sasuke makes things worse. I need to keep an eye out for him and his little trio of miscreants, in addition to what I already have to do."

He made his way back over to the exit before stopping momentarily.

"Thank you for the information Nekobaa. I hope we see other again, God willing. But if we don't….goodbye Nekobaa….and thank you….for everything."

Bowing her head toward his back as he walked out, she said quietly, "Goodbye my old friend. I hope we meet again soon as well."


	3. The Stranger

**The Third Son**

**Chapter 3**

**The Stranger**

It was a beautiful day in Konoha. The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. The weather was perfect for people to be out and about. The hidden village's market streets were crowded with people buying and selling wares as well as parents and children out enjoying themselves on this fine day. It was noisy, busy, and lively, just like it should be

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki had spent the morning and most of the afternoon sitting in the booth next to the entrance to the village, keeping an eye out for anyone unfamiliar and looking out for any potential threats. It was a relief to be out walking in the sunshine after spending most of the day in the booth. Both of them enjoyed walking down the market streets and seeing all the people out enjoying themselves in the fine weather. As they were admiring the scenery, both of their stomachs growled at the same time.

"I guess it's about time to find something to eat. Wouldn't you say, Izumo?" remarked Kotetsu.

"I hear ya. What sounds good? Sushi? Ramen? Oden? Dango?" replied Izumo.

"Oh yeah…dango…that sounds great. I could eat like…five sticks of that stuff" replied Kotetsu. He licked his lips at the thought.

Izumo looked at his wristwatch. "It's 3:30. Isn't it kinda close to dinner time to be loading up on something that sweet?"

Shocked out of his delicious daydream, Kotetsu replied, "I don't know about you, but I didn't eat breakfast or lunch. I'll be fine to eat in a few hours no matter what. Let's go to the dango shop"

Izumo sighed. "Alright. Alright. To be fair though, you could eat anytime no matter what."

"No arguments there" Kotetsu replied.

They both shared a laugh as they turned onto a side street and headed for the village's dango shop.

"Lady Tsunade is so childish. If we didn't keep an eye on her, she'd never get any paperwork done. In the end, we end up doing most of it anyway. Honestly, I think we deserve a raise." Kotetsu heaved a big sigh and continued walking.

"You shouldn't talk about Lady Tsunade in such a manner, Kotetsu" Izumo replied.

"Are you saying that you don't agree with me?" Kotetsu sputtered indignantly.

"Of course not. I agree with everything that you say. I'm merely saying that you shouldn't speak so bluntly about it. You should be more eloquent and subtle in your speech" Izumo commented matter-of-factly.

As they neared the shop, Kotetsu prepared to launch a verbal barrage at Izumo.

"You're a real pain in the neck you know that. If I had a nickel for every time…." Kotetsu fumed.

"Kotetsu. Over there. At the dango shop" Izumo interrupted. "That guy sitting on the bench in front of the shop. Notice anything?"

Kotetsu was annoyed at being interrupted, but he stopped at once and looked in the direction Izumo had told him. This guy was suspicious alright. No doubt about it.

The young man they were referring to was sitting by himself just outside the entrance to the dango shop on a bench outside. He was wearing a traveling cloak. From the look of it, it had a lot of mileage on it. Obviously, he wasn't from around here. He also wore a cloth across his face, just like the one Kakashi Hatake always wore. The only reason for doing that was to conceal one's face. What's more, he was wearing a shinobi forehead protector, but it had no symbol of a village on it. Worst of all, he was wearing a katana on his left hip. Nobody else but shinobi was allowed to wear weapons out in public. It was illegal. Everybody knew that.

"I don't remember that guy coming through the front gate" Izumo commented.

"I don't either," replied Kotetsu. "But the front entrance is the only way in or out of the village. How else could he have gotten in?"

"I don't know. Let's go ask him. Just be on your guard" Izumo remarked.

"Heh. No ordinary fighter is a match for you and me, buddy" Kotetsu replied as he flashed a grin. "Too bad that dango is going to have to wait until later."

Kotetsu and Izumo walked over to the young man and stood apart blocking any exit.

The young man looked up at Izumo then over at Kotetsu. Then, he looked back down and kept right on eating his dango.

Kotetsu cleared his throat loudly, obviously trying to get the young man's attention. In response, the young man simply took another sip of his tea.

Clearly becoming annoyed, Kotetsu said in a forced calm voice, "Sir. Are you aware that wearing a sword is illegal in this village…unless you're a Konoha shinobi that is?

"Hmmmm. Is that so young man?" replied the stranger. He took another sip of tea.

Kotetsu was clearly starting to lose his cool, so Izumo intervened.

"Sir. We're going to have to confiscate that weapon until you're ready to leave the village if you intend to stay. Otherwise, we're going to have to escort you out of the village. And just out of curiosity sir…how did you get into the village anyway? You don't look like you're from Konoha, and I know for a fact that you didn't come in through the front gate."

The young man nodded in acknowledgement of what Izumo had said and spoke.

"You're very sharp youngster. And I must say…you're much more level-headed than that partner of yours. You're absolutely right. I didn't come in through the front gate. I came in a secret entrance that only I know about. After all, I built it. As for the sword, I'm afraid I can't take it off. You see. This sword belonged to my older brother. It's more important to me than my life."

Izumo looked at Kotetsu and signaled for him to back up a little to keep the young man from bolting.

"Sir. I'm afraid I'm going to need you to come with us. The Hokage is going to want to know about that "secret entrance" of yours."

The young man smiled at the word "Hokage" and replied "I'm sure Tsunade-hime would like to know about that entrance, but I'm afraid I can't go with you youngster. You see I have several things that I need to do while I'm here, and I can't afford to be sidetracked."

"Izumo took a couple of steps back and said, "Look sir. We're taking you in whether you like it or not. So just make this easier on yourself and come quietly."

The young stranger gulped down the last of his tea and stood up to face Kotetsu and Izumo. He heaved a heavy sigh, and he glared dangerously at both of them.

"Youngsters…I'm not coming with you. I've got too much that I need to do. Please don't make me hurt you both."

His eyes told them that he believed that he really could hurt them and that he was completely confident in his fighting abilities.

Kotetsu and Izumo both smiled and exchanged a glance.

"You ready Kotetsu?" asked Izumo.

"Yeah. Let's subdue this 'youngster' so we can eat."

Izumo jumped into the air and formed some hand seals as Kotetsu jumped back a few feet.

"Suiton: Mizuame Nabara (Starch Syrup Capturing Field)"

Izumo reared his head back and then brought it forward again while releasing a stream of sticky liquid from his mouth. Instantly, the masked man's legs were trapped in the syrup. Izumo fell slowly right next to Kotetsu. He smiled at his jutsu's success.

Izumo looked at the crowd that had gathered and yelled, "Somebody go get a squad of ANBU over here pronto while this troublemaker's stuck here." Several people broke from the crowd and ran off down the street.

"Not much of a fighter after all, huh? Guess that sword of yours is just for show," yelled Kotetsu.

The young man simply closed his eyes and grinned widely. Then, he disappeared in a flash of dust.

Izumo and Kotetsu both gaped at the sight and said together, "Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)."

"Impressive jutsu you have there. Really. If I'd been a normal opponent, you probably would have had me there. But…well…I'm sure you can see I'm not a normal opponent."

Both Izumo and Kotetsu looked behind them in horror. The young man had appeared in a flash of dust right behind them.

"Are you two youngsters ready to give up? If you insist on continuing, I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt you."

An angry look flashed on both Izumo and Kotetsu's faces before each of them jumped to one side or the other of the masked man.

Both Izumo and Kotetsu pulled out scrolls immediately. With a flash of smoke, Kotetsu summoned his Conch Shell Mace from his scroll and Izumo summoned his Kunai Blade from his scroll.

As soon as they both had weapons in their hands, they charged at the young man from both sides ready to strike.

The young man shook his head and said, "I warned you both, didn't I?"

Just as the two of them were about to strike the young man, he whipped out a scroll of his own. In a flash of smoke, the young man produced a bo staff from his scroll and blocked both of the blows.

Izumo and Kotetsu could not believe that both of their weapon strikes had been blocked. Even more amazing was how fast the young man had blocked the strikes. In less than a second, he had produced his weapon and blocked two strikes to his vital areas.

Before either of them could attempt a second attack, the young man unleashed a series of blows on Izumo and Kotetsu. The strikes were so fast that neither they nor the crowd watching could follow with their eyes.

With blank expressions on their faces, both Izumo and Kotetsu dropped their weapons to the ground. Then, they fell to their knees before crumpling onto the ground unconscious. The young man stood before the two unconscious shinobi, bo staff in hand, and said, "Such a waste of youthful energy."

The young man heaved a sigh and went back over to his bench. As he prepared to sit down, he heaved another sigh.

"I'm not going to be able to finish my dango, am I, youngsters?"

He looked up. Four ANBU were standing in front of him, blocking his exit. Their swords were out, and they were all crouched in attack stances.

He simply stood back up and said, "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to hurt you youngsters as well."


End file.
